After an offseason that featured the gutting of nearly the entire San Francisco 49ers organization, the first game for the new regime’s tenure shows that the rebuild still has a long ways to go. Right away, a wrench was thrown in the works when rookie linebacker Reuben Foster went down with what appeared to be a serious leg injury in the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1.
Fortunately the prognosis is positive relative to what was initially thought, with Foster being ruled out multiple weeks with a high-ankle sprain. It’s obviously not the most encouraging sign to see your first-round draft selection get hurt within minutes of his NFL debut, but the potential of a devastating injury was avoided.